Developments of the Quarter: Comment and Chronology June 1-August 31, 1949

Source: Middle East Journal, Vol. 3, No. 4 (Oct., 1949), pp. 441-454
Published by: Middle East Institute
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THE
OF
DEVELOPMENTS
COMMENT

QUARTER:
AND
JUNE
THE

CHRONOLOGY
I

AUGUST

DEADLOCK which developedin

May over the Arab-Israeli negotiations

being conducted in Lausanne under the auspices of the UN's Conciliation Commission
continued throughout the summer. The basic
problems of territory and refugees remained
the stumbling blocks. Israel took a specific
stand on both counts: it urged that the territorial delimitations set up under the armistice
agreements (the agreement with Syria, the
last of the bordering states, was signed on
July 20) be used as a basis for the final peace
treaty; and it offered to accept the return of
IOoo,oo Arab refugees,including those already
returned (25,ooo) and members of divided
families (io,ooO). The latter offer met with
considerable criticism in the Israeli Knesset,
which was reassuredby a statement that Israel
would surrender no territory, including the
City of Jerusalem, for the sake of a peace
settlement. The Arab states would not budge
on either question. They refused to deny the
Arab refugees the right of returning to Palestine if they so desired, and late in August submitted a note stating that if Israel was
unwilling to readmit the refugees, it must
surrender all territory it had occupied beyond
the limits set by the UN partition plan as an
area in which they might be settled.
The upshot of the stalemate was that the
situation tended to stabilize itself on the basis
of the status quo, but completely without official recognition or prejudice to future claims.
In the meantime,little was being accomplished
or even attempted by either the Arabs or the

31I,

1 949

Israelis to promote the assurance as regards

each other's intentions which was a primary
condition to breaking the deadlock. In an
attempt to make progress on a new tack, the
United States proposedan economic approach
to the rehabilitationof the refugees-a widescale sponsorshipof developmentprojects,particularly in Syria and Iraq, which would both
raise those countries' economic standards and
give them the capacity to absorb the influx of
population. The concept, which acquired the
name of the McGhee Plan, after the newlyappointed U. S. Assistant Secretary of State
for the Near East and Africa, reached the
exploratory stage through the appointment,
late in August, of a UN economic survey
mission headed by Gordon Clapp, Chairman
of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee
Valley Authority. Five days later, on the last
day of the month, the UN Conciliation Commissionsuspendedits negotiations.
A constructive combination of refugee rehabilitation with long-range economic planning and technical assistance along the lines
of Point Four, which the McGhee Plan represented, had all the earmarks- from the
disinterested point of view - of a sound
approach. But militating against it was the
Arab suspicion that any plan put forward by
the United States, whether political or economic, was primarily designed to secure the
future of Israel. Until this guardednesscould
be overcome, any proposalcoming from either
the United States or the UN ran little chance
of being met with a spirit of co-operation.

441

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442

THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

A CoalitionGovernment
for Egypt
After five years of internal struggle, Egypt
again acquired,on July 26, a governmentbased
on the coalition of the four major political
parties: the Wafd, the Liberal, the Saadist,
and the Nationalist, together with a numberof
independentministers.The announcedpurpose
of the coalition was to preparefor the regular
quadrennial elections due to be held in October.
Husayn Sirri Pasha, the new Prime Minister, was a non-party man who had held the
post from fall I94I to February I942, when
the Germans were threatening Egypt from
al-Alamein. Known for his friendly feelings
toward foreigners in general, he also had the
respect of the political parties because of his
independent position. His appointment as
Prime Minister by King Farouk was a reassuringsign for the stability of Egypt. For the
past five years, since King Farouk dismissed
the Wafdist Cabinet of Nahas Pasha in October 1944, the country had known one of its
most delicate political periods. Two prime
ministers had been assassinatedwhile in office;
terrorism, riots, demonstrations, and strikes
had been widespread; and Egypt had met with
failure in its attempt to revise its treaty with
Great Britain and assert its power in Palestine. The stock market had reachedits lowest
point, business had been slow, foreign capital
had started moving out of the country because
of increasinglyrestrictive measures,and xenophobic feelings had been whipped up by such
fanatic organizations as the Moslem Brotherhood.
With the situation elsewhere in the Middle
East coming to a boil-the defeat in Palestine, the attempted coup d'etat of Anton
Saadeh in Lebanon, the successful coup d'etat
of Za'im in Syria-King Farouk was wise
enough to realize that a similar crisis might
occur in Egypt if the internal political struggle
was permitted to continue. With the Wafd
included in Sirri Pasha's Cabinet, feelings
began to cool off and signs of confidence to
reappear:businesswas alreadymore active, the
stock market was rising, hundredsof internees
were released, and the sequestration imposed
on Jewish commercial establishments was

lifted. Sirri Pasha told reporterson August

3 that "seniorpoliceofficers,policeinspectors,
and seniorofficialsof the Ministryof Interior
have been instructedto treat the inhabitants
of Egyptwithoutdiscrimination
as to religion,
nationality,or politicalcolors,andto be polite
and just to the public."
Whether Sirri Pasha's regime would be
maintainedafterthe electionsdependedpartly
on King Farouk,and partlyon the resultsof
the voting. If the Wafd, still the partywith
the widest popularappeal,won an absolute
majority,it couldask for an entirelyWafdist
Cabinet,but such a demandwould alienate
the other politicalparties,with a repetition
of the recentunrest.As an alternative,King
Faroukmight insiston a coalitioncabinet,at
leastuntilpoliticalandeconomicrelationswith
Great Britain were furtherstabilized.

Syria'sSecondCoup d'Etat
MarshalHusniZa'impassedfromtheSyrian
sceneas unexpectedlyand as effortlesslyas he
had appeareduponit. On August 14, a group
of armyofficers,headedby Col. SamiHinnawi,
arrestedand executed,after a summarytrial,
both Marshal Za'im and Prime Minister
Muhsinal-Barazi.The coupd'etatwas otherwise bloodless,andtherewas a total absenceof
publicdisturbance.
The Syrianpeopleaccepted
the new changeas quietlyas theyhadaccepted
Marshal Za'im's own coup the previous
March.
The new turn of eventswas only indirectly
a counter-move.Col. Hinnawi immediately
madeclear that he was neitherreversingthe
actionof March,in whichhe hadbeeninstrumental, nor attemptingto set himself up in
Za'ini'sstead.On the contrary,he insistedthat
he and his associateswere merely returning
the previouscoupd'etatto its trueaims,which
they felt MarshalZa'imhad abused.As proof
of theirgoodintentions,Col. Hinnawinamed
HashimBey Atasi, a formerpresidentof the
republic,as provisionalprime minister,and
of a coalichargedhim with the appointment
tion cabinetto take over the affairsof state
and make preparationsfor the electionof a
ConstituentAssembly.
The oppositionto MarshalZa'im'sregime
was basednot so muchon what he had done
as on the mannerof its doing.It hadnot been

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DEVELOPMENTS OF THE QUARTER

the original intention of the army group which

engineered the coup d'etat of March to lead
the country into a military dictatorship. Possibly Za'im had been forced into it because a
strong regime appearedto him to be the only
way in which the aims of the coup could be
accomplished. But at the same time he had
adopted needlessly arbitrary tactics, especially
following his election to the presidency on
June 25. His associates began to resent his
arrogationof power; and as Za'im became increasinglyarbitraryin his rule, they also began
to mistrust and fear him.
As for Marshal Za'im's foreign policies,
while they may have been good-intentioned
they were undoubtedly lacking in shrewdness
and diplomacy. Za'im at first gave hints of a
softened attitude toward the Hashimite states
of Jordan and Iraq, but following his visit to
King Farouk of Egypt late in April, began to
think in terms of a military alliance between
Syria and Egypt as a block to Hashimite ambitions. Partly in reaction to fear of Syria's
intentions, relations with Lebanon were at
first uncordial,involving both economicrivalry
and political intrigue. Contributing to the
uneasinessas to what turn Syria'spolicy would
take next, were Za'im's gestures of friendship
toward the French, his invitation to the Turkish Chief of Staff to advise on the Syrian
Army, and rumors of an intention to "Americanize" the country, with the implicationthat
U. S. aid would be bought at the price of a
definitive settlement with Israel.
The country at large was insufficientlypreparedto acceptMarshal Za'im'shasty attempts
at reform, particularly before he had shown
evidence of sober judgment, and Za'im did
little to hold the support of religious leaders,
business men, politicians, and army officers
upon whom, in the end, his retention of office
depended. It remained to be seen whether his
more drastic reforms, such as the franchisefor
women, the introduction of a civil code, and
the disestablishmentof Islam as the state religion, which were to have been incorporated
in the Za'im-sponsoredconstitution, would be
retained. The new cabinet had already agreed
that qualified women should vote for the
Constituent Assembly, but in general a far
more gradual, evolutionary approach was to
be expectedthan Za'im had apparentlyfavored.

443

There would not, however, be an immediate

return of the political maneuveringwhich had
been the almost exclusive characteristicof the
pre-Za'im Kawwatli regime. Politics now
tended to be regarded in the more healthy
light of a necessarymeans to an end. Nevertheless constructive, long-range planning, particularly in the economicfield, was unavoidably
delayed by the continued absence of a firmly
constituted government.

Effect on Pipeline Negotiations

The unsettled state of the political scene in
Syria had its inevitable effect on the progress
of plans for further oil pipelines to the Mediterranean, all of which expected to pass
through Syrian territory. The Prime Minister
of the provisionalSyrianGovernment,Hashim
al-Atasi, stated on August i6 that only the
future parliament could have the final say on
the U. S. oil pipeline concessions,and that his
cabinetwould neither confirmnor deny actions
taken by the Za'im regime.Thus the TAPline
agreement signed on May 18, and the agreement signed with the Middle East Pipelines,
Ltd. (an A.I.O.C. affiliate), on June 21 were
placed in question. Nevertheless, TAPline
appeared to be operating on the assumption
that its agreement would stand, at least in
principle.
The proposed A.I.O.C. pipeline to the
Mediterranean ran into further difficulties
with the Iraqi Government. Iraq contended
that its Kirkuk-Mosul fields had been developed only to a limited extent, although they
were only one-half as far from the Mediterranean as the Persian Gulf fields. There were
also several political factors involved. Iraq
feared that in the event of another war it
might be sacrificed in favor of protection of
the Persian Gulf area; indeed, that a pipeline
between the Gulf and the Mediterranean, by
strengthening Gulf oil developments, would
necessitate such a strategy. Recent gestures
indicated that Iraq would very much like to
see a closer co-operation between Iraqi oil
and Syrian ports.
As part of the attempt to adjust Iraq's role
in the pattern of oil production, the Iraq
Petroleum Company announced on August
28 a British Government-I.P.C. loan to the
Iraqi Government of some $42 million for

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444

THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

railroad and public works projects. Although

terms of the loan were not immediatelyavailable, presumablyit was necessitatedby a cutback in royalties caused by the shutdown of
the pipeline to Haifa. Presumably, also, the
loan was made against future royalty receipts.

Afghanistan-Pakistan
Conflict
In the earlypartof March 1949, when the
Governor-Generalof Pakistan, Khwaja Nazimuddin, referred to the Tribal Area and the
NorthwvestFrontier Province as "an integral
part of Pakistan," the latent undercurrentsof
conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan
suddenly rose to the surface again, and were
intensified by a bitter Afghan radio and press
campaign directed against the Pakistan Government.
The roots of the present conflict can be
traced back to I893 when Sir Mortimor Durand proposedthe Durand Line, to mark the
geographical limits to which Great Britain
and Afghanistan could go in mixing in the
affairs of the tribes along their frontiers. At
that time Afghanistan accepted the line as its
own eastern border.From there to the frontier
of India was "Free Tribal Territory" whose
inhabitants, closely akin to the frontier Afghans, retained their tribal autonomy. When
the Dominion of Pakistanwas formed in 1947,
a plebiscitewas held to determinewhether the
people of the Northwest Frontier Province,
largely Pathans, desired to become a part of
Pakistan or India. The results of the plebiscite, and the jirgas, or local parleys, subsequently held in the Tribal Area, indicatedthat
the tribes were in favor of becoming a part of
Pakistan, and were thereafter so considered.
An early Afghan reaction was reflected in a
statement made by Abdol Hosayn Aziz, the
Afghan Minister to the United States and
representativeto the UN, when, on September 30, 1947, he voted against the admission
of Pakistan to the UN on the grounds that
the recent plebiscite was "unfair." Later the
Afghan Foreign Minister, Ali Mohammad,
said that the results of the plebiscite were
achieved by "economicforce."
No further action was taken by either the
Afghan or Pakistan governments until the

Kashmir Conference on January 22, 1948,

when Abdol Hosayn Aziz stated that Afghanistan should be consulted on any question
involving the future status of the tribes in the
Northwest Frontier Province or the Tribal
Areas. From that time on the situation remained static until March I949 when the
Kabul radio accused Pakistan of "indiscriminate bombing" of the Waziristan tribal area,
whose inhabitants were closely allied to the
Afghans. On April 2 the Afghan charge
d'affaires in Karachi was recalled following
accusationsby the Kabul radio that Pakistan
was engaged in aggression against Afghan
tribes. On June 4 the Afghan Government
imposed restrictions on the movement of
vehicles across the Pakistan-Afghan border.
On June I2 Pakistani aircraft dropped five
bombs on Moghalakai, killing 15 persons.
Although this last incident later proved to be
an accident and the Pakistan Government
agreed to pay damages to Afghanistan, it
served to promote further tension between the
two governments.
Throughout the dispute, Afghanistan's objectives have been somewhat obscure. However, it can be assumedthat there are two main
factors at stake. The Afghans regardthe territory between the two countries as a margin of
safety, and the fierce Pathans inhabiting the
region as a basic source of military strength
against any aggressor. Coupled with this are
the bonds of a commonethnic origin, language,
and religion that has produceda nebulouskind
of affinity which has long been looked upon
by the Afghans as creating a traditional moral
obligation as well as an asset. Although the
Afghans have definitely stated that they did
not want this region incorporated into Afghanistan proper, they are, at the same time,
emphatically reluctant to recognize the area
as a part of Pakistan. For the past century
it has been one of Afghanistan's guiding principles to retain its consanguinity with the
tribes on its border, fearing that under the
dominationof another governmentthese tribes
eventually may lose their racial identity and
affinity to Afghanistan by absorptioninto the
conglomerate groups which now form the
Dominion of Pakistan.

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445

DEVELOPMENTS OF THE QUARTER

Chronology'
General
'949
June I9: Trade union leaders from eight Eastern
countries meeting at Geneva -all
opposed to
the Communist-dominated World Federation
of Trade Unions -voted
to set up an Asian
Federation of Labor. The countries were Turkey, Japan, China, the Philippines, India,
Pakistan, Iran, and Indonesia. Other countries
expected to join the federation were: Syria,
Israel, Ceylon, Burma, Siam, and Afghanistan.
July 5: An Anglo-French conference began at the
British Foreign Office in London for the purpose of working out an approach to the disposition of former Italian colonies; Israel's
frontiers; the change of regime in Syria; and
economic problems in connection with President Truman's Point Four Program.
July 2': A British diplomat's parley on the
Middle East was opened in London by Foreign
Secretary Ernest Bevin.

Afghan'istan
(See also Pakistan.)
'949
June 4: The Afghan Government imposed restrictions on the movement of vehicles across
the Pakistan-Afghan border.
June I2: According to a report in Afghan News,
a Pakistani aircraft dropped five bombs on
Moghalakai, killing approximately 15 persons.
June i6: Najibullah Khan, Afghan Ambassador
to India, accused Pakistan of a "provocative"
attitude toward Afghanistan. Pakistan denied
the bombing of Afghan territory, and declared
that the plane was hit by rifle fire from the
ground.
June 20: Alfred John Gardener, a Counselor in
the British Foreign Office, was appointed
British Ambassador to Afghanistan to succeed
Sir Giles Squire.
June 23: Sardar Faiz Mohammed Khan, Afghan
Ambassador to Great Britain, said that his
country would seek British aid in its dispute
with

Pakistan

over the future

of 7,000,000

Pathans in the Northwest Frontier Province,

1 In general, items in the Chronologyare drawn
from the New York Times unless otherwise indi-

cated.

and that Afghanistan would never accept

Pakistan's claim to the tribal area. (London
Times, June 24.)
June 24: The Pakistan High Commissioner in
London, Habib I. Rahimtoola, said in regard
to the June 23 statement of Sardar Faiz
Mohammed Khan that it amounted to an unwarranted interference in the internal affairs
of Pakistan, and that by a free plebiscite held
in 1947 the people of the Northwest Frontier
Province had expressed by an overwhelming
vote their desire to form part of Pakistan.
(London Times, June 25.)
July II: Pakistani Foreign Minister Sir Mohammed Zafrullah Khan offered to discuss economic co-operation with Afghanistan, but
rejected Afghan claims to tribal territory along
Pakistan's northwest frontier.
July 26: An Afghan National Assembly resolution to repudiate treaties with Great Britain
regarding tribal territories brought a Pakistani
warning that such a course was "very dangerous" and "invites claims upon Afghan territory
by Iran and the Soviet Union," the Pakistani
High Commissioner's office revealed.
July 29: The Pakistani Government agreed to
pay damages to Afghanistan for the alleged
bombing on June 12 by Pakistani planes.

Egypt
(See also Palestine Problem.)
1949
June i8: It was reported that Egypt had sent
Marshal Husni Za'im, Syrian Chief of State,
an assurance of Egyptian support in case of
conflict with Iraq.
June 22: The Egyptian Government refused permission to 4 trade union leaders to attend a
conference in Geneva to set up a new trade
union international independent of the Communist-dominated World Federation of Trade
Unions.
June 24: Latest reports on narcotics in Egypt
showed that in the previous thirteen months
$8,ooo,ooo worth had been seized by the police.
June 26: The Egyptian Chamber of Deputies
approved an arms budget of L. E. 23,000,000
(about $ioo,ooo,ooo). This was about six
times the amount of the military budget before
the Palestine war, and represented about one-

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THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

fifth of the total income of the Egyptian

Mustafa Mara'i Bey (Independent)
Treasury.
Minister of State
Dr. MuhammadHashim (Independent)
June 30: PresidentTruman announcedthe ap- Minister of State
pointmentof Jefferson Caffery, former Ambassadorto France, as Ambassadorto Egypt, Aug. I: Prime MinisterHusaynSirri Pasha outlined his government'spolicy, including the
to succeedStantonGriffis.
evacuationof British troops from Egypt, uniJuly I2: The Egyptian frontier was closed at
fication of the Nile Valley, maintenanceof
severalpointsalong the Libyanborder.It was
internal security, and the insurance of free
believed that the action was in retaliation
elections. Makram 'Ubayd Pasha, leader of
against British authoritiesin Cyrenaicawho
the Wafdist Bloc, said that martiallaw should
allegedly had refused to return 3 terrorists
be lifted immediately,andall politicalprisoners
wantedby Egypt.
released.
July 17: Egyptian Minister of State Mahmud
Aug. 2: 50 prominentEgyptianJews were reHasan Pasha diedin Alexandra.
July 25: King Farouk acceptedthe resignation leased from prison, where they had been interned for "securityreasons"by the Egyptian
of Prime Minister Ibrahim Abd al-Hadi
Government in May 1948. Their release came
Pasha, leader of the SaadistParty. The King
after a year's work by the AmericanJewish
asked Husayn Sirri Pasha, former Prime
Committee,the World Council of Churches,
Minister of Egypt, to form a new coalition
and the InternationalRed Cross.
cabinet, including both the Saadist and the
Husayn Sirri Pasha announcedthat exit
Wafd parties.
visas
were no longer requiredfor peoplewho
July 26: Prime Minister Husayn Sirri Pasha
wanted to travel abroad.(al-Ahram,Aug. 3.)
formeda new cabinetas follows:
aug. 20: Egypt was reportedto be transferring
Husayn Sirri Pasha (Independent)
its Arab refugees, said to number between
Prime Minister, Foreign Affairs, In38,ooo and 48,ooo,from Ismailiato the Gazaterior
Rafah coastal strip, in the eventuality that
Fu'ad Siraj al-Din Pasha (Wafdist) Gaza might revertto Israel when peacecame.
Communications
'UthmanMuharramPasha (Wafdist) PublicWorks
Ethiopia
Mustafa Nasrat Bey (Wafdist) - Commerce and Industry
I949
Muhammadal-Wakil Bey (Wafdist)
June II: Emperor Haile Selassie ratified the
Minister of State
UN's Genocide Treaty, thus becoming the
Mursi Badr Bey (Saadist) - Education
first nation to do so.
Dr. Najib Iskandar Pasha (Saadist)
Aug. 26: 600 Ethiopian railwaymen attacked the
Health
officesof the Franco-Ethiopian
RailroadComAli Ayyub (Saadist) -Social Affairs
pany,injuringabout 50 employees.
Muhmud Ghalib Pasha (Constitutional
Liberal)- Minister of State
Ahmad Abd al-Ghaffar (Constitutional
India
Liberal) - Agriculture
Ahmad Muhammad Khashaba Pasha
(See also Kashmir Problem.)
(ConstitutionalLiberal)- Justice
'949
IbrahimDassuqi Abaza Pasha (Constiti- June 6: In an "emergencyarrangement"an
tional Liberal) - Moslem Charities
Indian administrativeofficerassumedfull adAhmad Alluba Bey (ConstitutionalLibministrativefunctionsfor the semi-independent
eral) - Minister of State
state of Sikkimat the requestof the MaharaMuhammadZakiAli Pasha (Nationalist)
;jah Sir Tashi Namgyal, following a report
-Minister of State
from the Indian representativein Sikkimthat
Abd al-Rahmanal-Rifa'i Bey (National"bloodshed"and "breakdownin administraist) - Minister of State
tion" were likely to result from tension beMuhammad Haydar Pasha (Independtween the ruler and the state's first popular
ent) -War and Marine
government.
Husayn Fahmi Bey (Independent)June 9: It was reportedthat one prisonerwas
Finance
killed,andseveralprisoners,9 policemen,and3

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447

DEVELOPMENTS OF THE QUARTER

guards were woundedin a 4-hour battle between police and more than 200 communist
prisoners in a jail on the outskirts of Calcutta.
June i6: Four representatives from the Princely
State of Jammu and Kashmir took seats in
the Central Indian Constituent Assembly.
They were Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah,
Prime Minister; Mirza Afzal Baig, Revenue
Minister; Maulana Mohammad Saeed, General Secretary of the Kashmir National Conference; and Pandit Moti Ram. (India Today,
July.)
June i9: The Chandenagore referendum approved, by an overwhelming vote, the merger
of the French colony with India.
June 23: A trade agreement between India and
the United States, United Kingdom, and
French zones of Germany was signed at
Frankfurt. (Government of India Information Service [GIIS], July I4.)
June 27: One Indian was killed and several
wounded when rival unions, one of them communist, clashed at the American-owned
National Carbon Company factory in a Calcutta suburb.
June 28: In accord with new regulations, the
property and fortunes of India's native Princes
were reduced by about one-fourth. A preliminary report by the States Ministry said
that the Princely property thus far divided

and Australia was signed at New Delhi.

(GIIS, July I4.)
July I3: Prime MinisterJawaharlalNehru'scar
was stonedas he droveinto the city of Calcutta
from the airport. At least

20

persons were

injuredand22 arrestedas a result of the clash

with the police.
The ban on the National Volunteer Corps
(Rashtrya Swayam Sevak Sangh), a militant
Hindu organization,was lifted for the first
time sincethe deathof MohandasK. Gandhi.
The State Government of Hyderabad
started a 7-year plan for the expansionof
primaryeducationin rural areas. 200 schools
with 2 teachers each and 6oo experimental
schools with one teacher each were being
openedimmediatelyat a cost of $270,000.
July I4: A bombexplodedat the paradeground
in Calcuttawhere Prime Minister Nehru was
addressinga meetingto "face the Communist
trouble squarely."Several other outbreaksin
various parts of the city occurredduring and
before the meeting.
July 30: India's first Ambassador to Eire,
KrishnaT. Menon, presentedhis credentials
to PresidentSean T. O'Kelly.
One personwas killed and 8o injured in a
riot at the Calcuttarailroadstationcausedby
friction between travellers from Bengal and
porters from the state of Bihar. Bengal had
demandeda part of the state of Bihar,causing
totaled about $330,000,000.
tensionbetweenthe two territories.
Police in Calcutta killed one person and
wounded 5 others in a clash with demon- Aug. 4: Representativesof India and Pakistan
met in New Delhi to solve the problem of
strators who staged an illegal parade on the
water rights on rivers that rise in India and
campus of the Calcutta University. (N. Y.
flow into Pakistan,primarilythe Ravi, Suglej,
Herald Tribune, June 30.)
and Beas rivers,uponwhich Pakistandepends
June 29: Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru
for irrigationof graingrowingdistricts.
announced that India's food problem would
i8: Indiawas granteda loan of $34,000,000
Aug.
be treated as though it were a war emergency.
by the InternationalBank for Reconstruction
A Central Food Commissioner would be apand Developmentfor a term of 15 years,to be
pointed to head an extensive program to inused for the reconstructionand development
crease production and reduce costly imports.
of India'srailways.
July I: The south Indian states of Travancore
21: Prime Minister JawaharlalNehru asAug.
and Cochin were united under a single adsured Americansinvestingin India that their
ministration unit, headed by the Maharajah of
profitscould be taken out of India in dollars.
Travancore.
July 6: The first Indian Minister to the Holy
See, Dhirubhai B. Desai, presented his credentials to the Pope. (GIIS, July I4.)
July IO: France agreed provisionally to transfer
to India sovereignty over the free city of
Chandernagore.
July II: Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, chairman
of the executive board of UNESCO, was appointed Ambassador to Moscow.
An air transport agreement between India

Iran
'949

June 8: The Majlis (Parliament) authorized

new negotiationswith the Anglo-IranianOil
Companyin regard to greater royalties from
the firm's oil concessions.Finance Minister
AbbasGholi Golshayanstatedthat the Iranian
Governmentwas seeking $3.50 a ton, while

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THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

the companythus far had agreed to pay no

tion of 3 Iranian border officials and an
more than $2.40.
interpreter.
June 9: Diplomatic relations were established Aug. 2I: It was reported that Russian and
Iranian troops exchanged fire for about 5
between Iran and the Holy See after fifteen
hours, when Soviet soldiers attacked an Iranian
monthsof negotiations.
army post.
June i6: ShahMohammadReza Pahlaviissueda
royal decree calling for the election of an aug. 30: Columns of mechanized infantry had
Iranian senate, in accordancewith a bill apbeen moved toward Iran's northwest frontier
provedby the Majlis.
to meet "a most serious threat" from the
July

I2:

France and Iran signed a commercial

agreementprovidingfor an exchangeof about

Soviet Army, a military official stated. (N. Y.

Herald Tribune, Aug. 3I.)

$6,500,000 in goods yearly.

July I3: The ShahacceptedPresidentTruman's

Iraq
invitation to visit the United States in the
(See also Palestine Problem.)
autumn.
J1ly N: The Majlis passedan amendedversion '949
of the electorallaw guaranteeinga secret bal- June I6: Iraq officially denied that it had moved
troops to the Syrian border.
lot. (LondonTimes, July I5.)
July 24: Iran agreed to Pakistan's suggestion aug. 7: Foreign Minister Fadhil Jamali announced an agreement with Iran to establish
that a joint commissionbe formedto demara commission to draw a final demarkation line
cate the Pakistan-Iranianboundaryalong the
for the frontier between that country and Iraq.
Baluchistanfrontier.
July 25: A government spokesman told Parlia-

ment that a minority filibuster had killed

chances of ratification of the new AngloIranianoil agreement.
July 27: The governmentapproveda decreeprovidingthat all leadersof non-Moslemreligious
groupsmust be "subjectsof the ImperialGovernment"and "concernedwith religiousmatters only."
dug. 7: Prime Minister MohammadMaraghei
Sa'id declaredthat the United States, Russia,
and Great Britain had not lived up to their
promisesof the Tehran Declarationof I943,
recognizingIran's aid in the war effort and
agreeing to consider its economic problems.
He said that the U. S. had given no positive
reply to an appealfor 200,000 tons of wheat
asked for in order to avert a threatened
famine.
Martial law, imposedin Tehran on Feb. 4,
when gunmen attempted to assassinate the
Shah,was lifted.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fadhil Jamali
announcedan agreementwith Iran to establish
a commissionto draw up a final demarkation
line for the frontierbetweenthat countryand
Iran.
dug 8: LincolnWhite, State DepartmentPress
Officer,announcedthat the U. S. had declined
a request by Iran for 200,000 tons of wheat.
The Governmentof Iran was informedthat
plentyof wheat was availableat open-market
prices.
Jug. ir: Iran protestedto the USSR the deten-

aug. 8: The British Government and the Iraq

Petroleum Company agreed to lend Iraq
?Io,500,000 for railroad and public works
projects.

Israel
(See also Palestine Problem.)
'949

June x: The Israeli Government notified the

UN's Mixed Armistice Commission and the
Egyptian Government that unless the searchings and confiscations of Israel-bound freight
ships passing through the Suez Canal stopped
immediately the matter would be referred to
the Security Council of the UN.
June 9: The Bank of America loaned $15,000,000
to the Keren Kayemeth le-Israel, Ltd. (Jewish
National Fund), representing the first loan
made by an American bank to a corporation
in Israel. The funds provided were to be devoted to the purchase of land vacated by the
Arab population.
June I3: The Knesset (Assembly) of Israel
authorized the government to issue bonds in
unspecified amounts, putting up state-owned
immovable property as security.
June 2I: Walter Eytan, head of the Israeli delegation to the United Nations Conciliation
Commission, stated that Israel would not
agree to the complete internationalization of
Jerusalem under any circumstances.
Israel became a member of the United
Nations World Health Organization,

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DEVELOPMENTS OF THE QUARTER

449

June 29: The Knesset went on record as stating

sary for projects, housing, hotels, etc. (N. Y.
that Jerusalem should be "an integral part"
Herald Tribune, Aug. 24.)
of Israel.
Aug. 30: The Israeli Cabinet abolished the warJuly i: Official figures indicated that the populatime requirement of exit visas.
tion of Israel was over I,000,000, of which
approximately io% was Arab.
July 4: Dr. Dov Joseph, Israeli Minister of
Supply and Rationing, announced that after
two months of Israel's austerity program, '949
food prices had been cut on an average of io%,
June r: Great Britain recognized Amir Sayyid
and the profits of wholesalers and retailers
Idris al-Sanusi as head of the former Italian
had been reduced by 15 to 30%. (N. Y. Herald
colony of Cyrenaica, and agreed to the formaTribune, July 4.)
tion of its government. The area still remained
July 6: Mordecai Namir, Israel's Minister to
under British control, however, and its ultithe USSR, presented his credentials at the
mate future must be decided by the UN.
Kremlin.
July 7: The Vatican radio accused the Israeli
Government of having refused to return seized
property to the Office of the Custodian of the
Holy Land, held by the Franciscan order.
(See also Palestine Problem.)
July 13: Mapai denounced Israel's League for '949
Friendly Relations with Soviet Russia as un- June 3: The official gazette announced that as
neutral, and announced that it would sponsor
of December 1948 the name of the country was
a new organization to promote understanding
"The Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan."
between Israel and the Soviet Union.
June I9: Major General John Bagot Glubb
July I4: The General Labor Federation of
charged that Israeli forces had begun general
Israel (Histadrut) instructed its Trade Union
sniping along the Palestine front, and that the
Department to accept pay cuts of $6.78 a week.
"police substitution" was a violation of the
July i8: 500 unemployed immigrants living in
armistice agreement.
abandoned Arab homes in Ramleh demon- June 20: An Israeli spokesman said that there had
strated before the offices of the Labor Minbeen "no sniping and no incident" along the
istry for "bread and work."
Israeli-Jordanian front, and that t'ie substiJuly 27: The Ford Motor Company and the
tution of civilian police for soldiers in the
Israeli Government ended two months of
neutral area around Government House in
negotiations with an agreement to bring an
Jerusalem had been made by "mutual agreeinitial consignment of $4,ooo,ooo worth of cars,
ment."
trucks, and parts into Israel. The contract July 7: The Parliament enacted a bill requiring
involved the payment of $I,6oo,ooo in cash to
officers of the British-trained and Britishbe supplied from an Export-Import Bank loan,
subsidized Arab Legion who desired to resign
and credits of $2,400,000 extended by the Ford
to refund to the government the money exCompany for a 3-year period.
pended on their training. Resigning officers
Jug. i: Jacob Tsur, Israeli Minister to Argenwould no longer be entitled to pensions.
tina, presented his credentials to President July 20: A report from Amman announced that
Juan D. Peron.
a course of militarv training for all able-bodied
Aug. 7: The first Israeli train from Tel Aviv
men between the ages of i8 and 40 had been
reached Jerusalem.
started in Jordan-occupied Palestine.
dug. I6: The Knesset voted to give the Soviet A,ug. II: It was reported that the equivalent of
Government and Russian Orthodox Church
$io,ooo,ooo was being set aside for a 2-year
direct control over all Russian Orthodox propplan to make the Mafraq airport the greatest
erties in Palestine.
military and civilian airport in the Middle
East.
aug. 24: The Knesset began work on a I2-point
legislative program to facilitate the investment Aug. 26: The Jordan Government engaged a
of private capital from abroad. The program
British engineering firm to survey the poswould give investors favored treatment in
sibilities of irrigating 75,ooo acres of the Jorsuch matters as tax exemption, low rents,
dan Valley, at a cost of from $28,ooo,ooo to
available lands, free duty for materials neces$52,000,000.

ItalianColonies

Jordan

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THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

450

KashmirProblem
1949
June 6: Truce proposals put forward by the UN
Commission for India and Pakistan were rejected by both sides.
June IO: The UN Commission agreed unanimously to make further efforts to obtain a
truce agreement that would reconcile the
points of view of the governments of India and
Pakistan.
June 28: The senior member of the UN Commission negotiating the Kashmir dispute, Dr.
Alfredo Lozano, resigned, but agreed to continue as a member temporarily. (India Today,
July.)
July 26: Pakistan and India reached an agreement on a cease-fire along a 400-mile line
running from Manawar in the south to Keran
in the north, then east to Marol and Glaciers.
The Burzil Pass would remain under Pakistan
control, but an area 5 miles to the south of the
Pass would be freed of both Indian and
Pakistani troops. (N. Y. Herald Tribune,
July 28.)
dug. 8: The UN Commission invited India and
Pakistan to a joint meeting under the Commission's auspices to implement the truce
agreement in Kashmir.
dug. i8: The UN Commission announced that
it had called off a joint Indian-Pakistani Conference scheduled to be held August 22 to
implement the truce agreement, since "both
India and Pakistan have claimed the right to
incorporate Kashmir."
dug. 30: President Truman appealed to India
and Pakistan to settle their dispute over Kashmir as the first step in a policy to prevent the
spread of communism throughout Southeast
Asia by eliminating unrest and steadying political conditions in that area.

Lebanon
(See also Palestine Problem.)
'949
June 9: A newspaper plant in Beirut was partly
burned and some persons injured following
meetings of the Phalange and the Syrian
National Party.
July 4: The Lebanese Cabinet began organizing
a full-scale suppression of the activities of the
Syrian National Party as a result of recent
attacks on gendarmerie posts.
July 7: Lebanese Government troops arrested
Anton Saadeh, leader of the Syrian National

Party, and completed a round-up of party

members.
July 8: Anton Saadeh was executed before a
firingsquad.
July

I2:

Ghassan Tuwayni, editor and publisher

of the newspaperal-Nahar, was arrestedfor

havingpublishedan articlecriticizingthe speed
with whih Anton Saadeh was tried and
executed.
July I4: Ghasan Tuwayni was sentencedto 3monthsimprisonment.
July i6: The Falange,strong Christianpolitical
organization, which charged the American
University of Beirut with having been the
center of agitation for Anton Saadeh,leader
of the Syrian National Party, withdrew its
accusations.
July I7: Twelve leaders of the SyrianNational
Party were condemnedto death.
July i8: Lebanesepolice locked and sealed the
headquartersand other officesof the Falange.
July 20: The governmentannounceda decision
to initiate a programof universalcompulsory
military training.An additionalappropriation
of $4,000,000 was made for nationaldefense.

Pakistan
(See also Afghanistan, Kashmir Problem.)
I949

June 22; Pakistan rejected the suggestion of

Afghanistanthat an internationalinquirycommittee consistingof the United States, Britain,
Russia, and India shouldbe set up to investigate Afghanistan'sallegationsagainstPakistan
andvice versa. Pakistanwas willing, however,
to have a joint board, consistingof delegates
from Afghanistanand Pakistan,to investigate
the accusationsmadeby both countries.
June 23: Sardar Faiz MohamedKhan, Afghan
Ambassadorin London,said that his country
feared "war and great destruction"if the
Pakistani Government tried to absorb the
Pathans into Pakistan who, he said, were
Afghans by race. He went on to say that
Afghanistandid not recognizethe Northwest
Frontier Provinceas part of Pakistan. (London Times, June 24.)
June 24: The Pakistan High Commissionerin
London said in regard to the June 23 statement of Sardar Faiz MohamedKhan that it
amountedto an unwarrantedinterferencein
the internalaffairsof Pakistan,and that by a
free plebisciteheld in 1947, the peopleof the
NorthwestFrontierProvincehad expressedby

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DEVELOPMENTSOF THE QUARTER

451

mentsto the Arab states, that it was a matter

an overwhelmingvote their desire to form
for the SecurityCouncilto decidewhetherits
part of Pakistan. (London Times, June 25.)
cease-fireresolutionsof last summerhad been
July I: A trade agreementwith Japanwent into
supersededby the armistice agreementsbeeffect. Japan would export cloth, cotton,yarn,
tween Israel and Egypt,Jordan,and Lebanon.
rayons,electricgoods,glassware,ironproducts,
clocks and watches. Japan would receive June ii: The Israeli delegationto the UN ConciliationCommissionsubmitteda 4-pointpro85,ooo bales of raw jute, 20,000 tons of salt,
posal designedto break the 6-week deadlock
500,000 bales of wool, 1,500,000 pounds of
betweenthe Israelis and Arabs: i.) to estabhemp and other articles.
lish subcommitteesto deal with five basic
July 23: The executivecommitteeof the Pakisissues: the general conditionsof peace, Jerutan Chamberof Commerceunanimouslypassed
salem, the refugees,territory,and economics;
a resolutionrequestingpreferentialtreatment
for Pakistan in the British Commonwealth 2.) the Commissionto seek wider powers for
the Arab delegates from their governments;
dollar pool.
3.) the Commissionto use all possible inJuly 24: Iran agreed to Pakistan's suggestion
fluenceto persuadethe Arabsto meet directly
that a joint commissionbe formedto demarcate
with the Israelis; 4.) terms of the armistice
the Pakistan-Iranian boundary along the
agreementsbetweenIsrael and Egypt,Jordan,
Baluchistanfrontier.
Lebanon,and Iraq to be used as the basis for
aug. 4: Representativesof India and Pakistan
discussions.
met in New Delhi to solve the problemof
Israeli sources reported that their troops
water rights on rivers that rise and flow into
"expelled"Arab Legion units and irregulars
Pakistan,primarilythe Ravi, Suglej, and Beas
from a village 5 miles east of Latrun. (Washrivers, upon which Pakistan dependsfor irriington Post, June I3.)
gation of grain growingdistricts.
aug. 8: It was announcedthat Westinghouse June 14: AubreyS. Eban,Israeli representative
to the UN, protestedto the SecurityCouncil
ElectricalInternationalCompanywould erect
against the British Government'sdecision to
a 20,ooo kilowatt station at Dargai on the
resumearms shipmentsto the Arab states.
upper Swat Canal in the Northwest Frontier
Following a decisionreachedby the Mixed
Province of Pakistan.The completionof the
ArmisticeCommission,Israeli andArab forces
station was scheduledfor late I95I.
evacuated positions held on neutral ground
aroundthe GovernmentHouse in Jerusalem.
June r5: Israeli ForeignMinisterMoshe Sharett
told the Knesset (Assembly) that Israel
1949
would not concede any part of the territory
June 3: Accordingto an agreementbetweenthe
it had demanded, and requested that the probIsraeli and Lebanesedelegatesto the Mixed
lem be left up to the parties directly conArmistice Commission,Lebanonwould withcerned with the issue.
draw into the interiorall refugeesfrom Pales- June I7: The 4 Arab delegations at the Arabtine who were near the Israel border.
Israeli peace talks formally complained against
The Israeli Governmentoffered to allow
a speech made in Tel Aviv by Israeli Foreign
230,000 Arab refugeesto make their homesin
Minister Moshe Sharett, in which he stated
Israeli territory, providedthat Egypt turned
that Israel would not surrender any territory
over the Gaza coastal strip to Israel.
or readmit refugees for the sake of a peace
June 5: The LebaneseGovernmentbeganremovsettlement.
ing PalestinianArab refugees from the area June 20: Moshe Sharett urged the Lausanne
along the Israeli frontier.
delegates to advocate a plebiscite in Arab
June 9: The Governmentof Israel submittedto
Palestine to determine whether the inhabitants
the UN ConciliationCommissiona proposal
desired a separate state or annexation to
to make the prewar frontiers at the northern
Jordan.
andsouthernextremesof the formermandated June 23: The UN Conciliation Commission reterritory of Palestine the permanentborders
ported that a final solution to the Arab-Israeli
betweenthe new state of Israel and Lebanon
difficulties was blocked by Arab pressure on
and Egypt respectively.
the refugee problem and Israel's emphasis on
June IO: Dr. RalphJ. Bunche,Acting Mediator
territorial problems.
for Palestine, stated in regard to the British June 24: Dr. Ralph J. Bunche announced that
Government'sdecision to resume arms shipSyria and Israel had accepted his compromise

PalestineProblem

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452

THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

July 27: In his final reportto the SecurityCounthat the restriccil, Dr. Buncherecommended
tive truce conditionsbe lifted in favor of the
four armistice agreements which had been
signedby Israel andthe Arab states.
At the Lausanneparley,the Arabs accepted
Israeli proposalsfor handlingthe entry into
Israeli-held territory of wives and children
of Arab headsof familiesin Israel.
aug. 3: Arab delegationsto the UN Conciliation
Commissionannouncedthat they had agreed
to discussIsrael'sconditionalofferto acceptthe
returnof a numberof Arab refugees.
aug. 4: Moshe Sharett announcedthat the
Israeli Governmentwould be willing to resettle reportedlyIoo,ooo Arab refugees.The
number included 25,000 already there and
I0,000 who would return under the reunion
of familiesprogramalreadyagreed upon.
The U. S. and Great Britain voluntarily
offered to restrict arms shipments to the
Middle East to amounts reasonable for
security.
aug. 6: The Arabs agreed to the Israeli proposal to free blockedbankaccounts.The Arab
delegationto the UN ConciliationCommission
told the general committee that they were
preparedin principleto free Jewish accounts
in Arab banksup to an amountequivalentto
Arab accountsfreed in Israeli banks.
Aug. 8: Semyon K. Tsarapkin, Soviet delegate
to the UN, recommendedto the Security
Councilthat the UN withdrawfrom Palestine,
leavingIsrael and the neighboringArab states
free to reach final peace settlementswithout
"outsidepressure"or interference.
JUly
20:
Israel and Syria signed an armistice Aug. Ii: Dr. Ralph J. Bunche, Acting UN Mediagreement. Both sides agreed to keep their
ator for Palestine,was relieved of his duties
military forces behind their international
by the Security Council, which instructed
frontiers, and to establish demilitarized zones
Israel and the Arab states to continueobservin the contested areas. Syrian forces were to
ing the armisticeagreements.
be withdrawn from the eastern shore of
A compromiseplan on the Arab refugees
southern Lake Galilee and from the eastern
being preparedby the UN ConciliationComshore of Lake Hule, leaving those waters in
missionwas reportedto call for the return of
the hands of the Israelis. Unrestricted civil
250,000 Arabs to Israel and to requireIsrael
life would be resumed in the demilitarized
to relinquishthe lower part of the Negev,
zones until final peace negotiations were
possiblyofferingthe Gaza strip, now held by
established. The agreement also called for a
the Egyptians,in return. The U. S. was rewithdrawal of all defensive forces to lines
portedlypreparedto underwritethe cost for
three and a half miles on either side of the
resettlingthe Arabs, and to permit Israel to
armistice line.
retain all other territory acquiredafter the

proposal as a basis for discussion in arranging

an armistice. The proposal called for the withdrawal of Syrian troops from a small area
in eastern Palestine, which would be placed in
the custody of officials on the mediation staff.
June 25: Three delegates of the Palestinian
refugees presented to the Egyptian Government, through the Arab League, a petition that
the Arab refugees be permitted to work to
earn a living; at present refugees were not permitted to take employment in Egypt and
Lebanon, but were free to work in Syria and
Jordan.
July 6: A legal commission consisting of members of both Syrian and Israeli armistice delegations succeeded in preparing a draft armistice agreement.
July 7: The Israeli Government officially confirmed its plan for the return of dependent
Arab refugees. For the present only wives,
unmarried daughters, and sons of less than 15
years would be permitted to return.
The UN appealed again to its 59 members
to contribute emergency funds to the Arab
refugees of the war in Palestine.
July II: A deadlock in the Israeli-Syrian armistice negotiations developed over the demilitarization of a small strip of land 3 miles long
around Samakh, on the shore of Lake Tiberias.
July I2: Catholic and Israeli religious leaders
agreed to form a joint commission to investigate war damages to the Church of the
Dormition on Mount Zion, in Jerusalem.
July i6: Paul A. Porter was appointed U. S.
member of the UN Conciliation Commission,
to succeed Mark F. Ethridge.

July 26: Aubrey S. Eban, Israeli representative

to the United Nations, stated that Israel would
ask the Security Council to restrict shipments
of arms to the Middle East despite the conclusion of armistice agreements between Israel
and the Arab countries.

UN partition plan of Nov.

29,

I947.

AUg. 24: The UN Palestine ConciliationCommission, acting on a U. S. proposal,decided

to send an economic survey mission to the
Middle East "to study the economicsituation
in the countriesaffectedby the recent hostil-

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453

DEVELOPMENTS OF THE QUARTER

ities." The immediatepurposeof the mission

would be to preparea reportfor the General
Assemblyon the problemsinvolvedin the resettlement of the uprootedArab population.
The Commissionalso agreed to nominate a
UN representativeto Jerusalemuntil "a permanentinternationalregimefor the Jerusalem
areaentersinto effect."The task of the mission
would be threefold: i.) to promotethe establishment of economicconditionsfavorable to
peace; 2.) to facilitate the repatriation,resettlement,and economicand social rehabilitation of the refugees;3.) to help the interested
governmentsto furthersuch measuresas were
requiredto overcomethe dislocationcausedby
the hostilities.
dUg. 26: GordenR. Clapp,chairmanof the board
of directorsof the TennesseeValleyAuthority,
xvas appointed by UN Secretary General
Trygve Lie to head a UN survey of the economic problemsinvolvedin rehabilitatingthe
PalestineArab refugees,sponsoredby the UN
PalestineConciliationCommission.
dug. 29: Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan
handed a note to the UN ConciliationCommission demandingthat Israel give up territories beyondthose stipulatedin the UN partition plan in return for their resettlementof
anyArab refugeesIsrael refusedto repatriate.
The note also stated that the Arabs wanted
the internationalizationof Jerusalem and the
surroundingregion, includingBethlehem.
,4lu. 31: The UN ConciliationCommissionsuspendedits peace negotiationsin Lausanne.

Persian Gulf
1949

May 28: A decree was issued regardingjurisdiction over the territorial waters of Saudi
Arabia and a proclamationconcerningcontrol
of the sea-bed and sub-soil off the Persian
Gulf coastof the Kingdom.(Text in American
Jour. of InternationalLaw, July, pp. I54-7.)
June 5: The Sheikdomof Bahreinissued a proclamation concerning its control of the sea bed

and sub-soiloff the coast of Bahrein.

June I2: The Sheikdomof Kuwait issued a
proclamationconcerningits control of the sea
bed and sub-soil off the coast of Kuwait.

Saudi Arabia
(See also Persian Gulf.)
1949
dug. 27: The Saudi ArabianLegationin Cairo
issued a statement denying reports that the
governmentwas willing to ship oil to Haifa.

June 23: The U. S. received a one-year extension of its operational rights in the strategic
B-29 air base at Dhahran in an agreement
signed by representatives of the United States
and King Ibn Saud at Riyadh.

Syria
(See also Palestine Problem.)
I949

June 3: The government began turning back

shipments of thread and textiles from Lebanon
on the grounds that it was preparing new protective laws for Syria's own industries. The
Lebanese were reported to be preparing new
retaliatory measures.
June I5: Prime Minister Husni Za'im informed
the United States, British, Egyptian, and Saudi
Arabian ministers that 5,000 Iraqi troops were
massed on the border of Syria. It was reported
that Za'im had ordered the recall of the
Syrian Minister to Baghdad, ordered Syrian
troops to the frontier, and would sever diplomatic relations with Iraq.
June 2i: Syria signed an agreement giving the
Anglo-Iranian Oil Company rights to build a
pipeline from the Persian Gulf across Syria to
a Mediterranean port.
June 25: Marshal Za'im was elected President of
Syria.
July 7: Syrian reinforcements aided the Lebanese
gendarmerie in putting down an armed rebellion instigated by Anton Saadeh and his Syrian
National Party.
July 23: President Za'im decorated Brigadier
General William E. Riley, who presided over
the Israeli-Syrian armistice negotiations;
Major Stevens Meade, acting military attache,
and M. Henri Vigier, General Riley's associate in the armistice proceedings on behalf of
the U. S.
July 30: According to reports from Damascus,
a new draft constitution was completed providing for a 7-year term for the President and
a 5-year term for a unicameral Chamber of
6o members.
ifug. l: The government issued a decree empowering the Ministry of Defense to requisition sections of the population for roadbuilding
and other construction important to national
defense, and granting the equivalent of
$7,ooo,ooo more to the Army.
Aug. 3: The Voix de Syrie, only foreign language
newspaper appearing in Syria, was suppressed
by the authorities.
Aug. 5: A synagogue in Damascus was bombed,

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454

THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

killing 6 or 7 persons,and injuring27. It was

believed that the bombingwas by terrorists
demonstrating against the Palestine peace
negotiationsbeingcarriedon in Lausanne.
aug. 9: PresidentZa'im declaredthat he would
be willing to sponsorfor the Middle East a
pact patternedon the Atlantic Alliance if the
United States would pledge economic and
military aid. He would exclude Israel, however. (N. Y. Herald Tribune,Aug. 9.)
aug. I4: In a military coup d'etat President
Za'im and Prime Minister Muhsin al-Barazi
were executed before a firing squad after a
brief trial before senior army officers.Colonel
Sami Hinnawi seized control of the government, and after conferringwith a group of
political leaders, asked Hashim Bey Atasi,
a former Presidentof the Republic,to form a
Cabinet. Hinnawi installed himself as chief
of the armedforces, statingthat Za'im's"conceit and despotism"had led him to deviate
from his originalaims for his country.
Hinnawi issued a communiqueas follows:
"In accordancewith the order of the Commanderin Chief of the Army and the Armed
Forces, Col. Sami Hinnawi,it was decidedto
appointthe followingleadersandofficersmembers of the SupremeCouncil of War, which
is undertakingthe affairsof the countryuntil
such time as a legal, legislativeGovernmentis
established."The list of eleven names which
followedwas headedby thoseof Col. Hinnawi,
Lieut. Col. Bahij Kallas, Lieut. Col. Alam alDin Qawwas, and Maj. Amin Asaf; it also
containedthe names of 6 other officerswith
the rank of captain.A committeeof political
leaders consistingof RushdiKikhia (People's
Party); Faidi Atasi (People's Party); Nazim
Kudsi (People's Party); AkramHawrani and
Sami Kabarah (Independents); and Amir
Atrash (Druze), nominatedHashim al-Atasi
to form a civilian cabinet.
Aug. iS: Col. Sami Hinnawi, in a formal visit
to Hashim al-Atasi, Prime Minister of the
CoalitionCabinet,informedhim that the army
was turning over governmentalauthority to
the new regime.The Cabinetannouncedthat
the nationwould elect a ConstituentAssembly,
and that in the meantimeit had assumedthe
powers of the Presidentof the Republicwith
full legislative and executiveauthority.
Aug.

I7:

The Cabinet was announced as follows:

Hashim al-Atasi-Prime Minister

Khalidal-Azm- Finance
RushdiKikhia-Interior
Nazim al-Qudsi- ForeignAffairs

AbdallahAtfah -National Defense

Adil al-Azmah-Minister of State
Faidi al-Atasi-Economics
FathullahAsiyun-Minister of State
Majd al-Din al-Jahiri-Public Works
SamiKabara-Justice and Health
Michel Aflaq-Education
Akran Hawrani-Agriculture
(al-Hayat, Aug. I 7.)
aug. i9: The Hashimite Kingaoin of Jordan
officiallyrecognizedthe new Syrian Government.

Turkey
I949
June 2: Turkey allocated $i8,297,872 for the
purchaseof 29 new cargo and passengerships
by

I952.

The TurkishForeignMinisterreportedthat
a Turkish diplomaticcourier died of bullet
wounds receivedwhile on Russianterritory.
June 8: The Turkish Government imposed
travellingrestrictionson diplomatsfrom Eastern Europe,keepingthemwithinthe city limits
of Ankara and Istanbul.
June 9: Col. General AbdurrahmanNafiz
Gurman replacedGeneral Salih Omurtak as
Chief of the GeneralStaff.
Cemil Sait Barlas, Minister of Commerce
and Economy,was transferredto the post of
Minister of State, where he was to act as coordinator between the government and the
EuropeanRecoveryProgramin Turkey, succeeding Nurullah Esat Sumer.Vedat Decleli
was appointed Minister of Commerce and
Economy.
July I: A military reorganizationlaw placing
Turkey's general staff under the authorityof
the Minister of National Defense came into
effect.
July 8: The governmentannouncedthat its newly drafted electoral law was ready to go to
the NationalAssembly,andwas expectedto be
in force before the I950 general elections.It
providedfor secret voting and publiccounting
of ballots, with representativesof all political
parties supervisingthe voting. (N. Y. Herald
Tribune,July 9.)
July 9: Foreign Minister NecmettinSadakconfirmed reports that Marshal Za'im of Syria
had askedTurkey to supplymilitary instruction to the SyrianArmy.
aug. 8: Turkey was approvedfor admissionto
the Council of Europe by the Committeeof
the Council at Strasbourg,France.

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